BENTON HARBOR -- Just watching Gov. Jennifer Granholm speak to more than 200 people in his microbrewery four days before the Nov. 7 election was enough to choke up Steve Berthel.

Fifteen months after he opened The Livery in Benton Harbor, the visit by Granholm showed that the brewery was a significant part of the city's arts district and a cog in its push for more development in that area.

"It was so amazing. I was so moved with emotion," Berthel said of Granholm's visit, when she kissed him on the cheek.

The brewery is one of the reasons Candice Elders, 30, said she decided to accept a job in Benton Harbor and move from her home in Marquette. Someone recommended she visit The Livery while she was in town interviewing for a job. She said she had no intention of making Benton Harbor home until The Livery showed her a side of the city she didn't know existed.

"After 10 minutes, I just knew the community had heart and this was the hub," Elders said of the brewery while having a drink at the downstairs bar with her friend Tony McGhee Friday.

Anne Holcomb / GazetteThe upper level of The Livery in Benton Harbor has a capacity of about 250 with seating in front of the stage and in the balcony. Singer-songwriter Drew Nelson performs a set Nov.17. The mural to the left of the stage was painted by Tony Hendrick, who also helped paint the mural at the Kalamazoo Air Zoo.

When most people think of Benton Harbor, they probably conjure up images of civil unrest from 2003 when 27-year-old Terrance Shurn, a black man, died at the end of a high-speed police chase, leading to two nights of fires, looting and dozens of injuries. The news made national headlines. Since then, a series of grants has been given to the city in hopes of reviving it.

A big part of the social environment needed to support a city on the mend has been the addition of The Livery, McGhee said. McGhee, 35, lived in Kalamazoo in the mid-1990s and worked as a community development manager for the city. He said he sees similarities in Kalamazoo's push to improve its downtown area more than a decade ago and that of Benton Harbor, where he lives now.

"You have the same vision and the same commitment. You can see what the community can become," he said. " ... It's really a creative area."

Anne Holcomb / GazetteCo-owner Leslie Pickell pours a beer from the taps in the upstairs bar and performance area. The taps were custom made by a Benton Harbor glass-blowing artist.

Leslie Pickell, who co-owns The Livery with Berthel, said the 101-year-old building and former horse stable was vacant for 40 years before they opened it as a brewery on Aug. 19, 2005. Since then, paintings, murals, glasswork and all kinds of other art from nearby businesses adorn the walls of The Livery, which also features an original elevator and a few original wood beams. Among the most visually appealing items are the taps for the upstairs bar and performance space. They were custom-made by glass-blowing artist Jerry Catania, of Water Street Glassworks, in Benton Harbor, Pickell said.

"We wanted it to be a community space - so far so good," she said.

Berthel, who lives in Kalamazoo and started brewing at Kraftbrau Brewery in 1997, said he's received offers from local craftsmen to help build elements for the brewery that he's not qualified to tackle. In exchange, they get a keg.

"People are really wanting to be part of this," he said. "It's like bragging rights. People want to say, "You see that? I built it.'"

Anne Holcomb / GazetteSteve Berthel shows of his brewery Nov. 17. Berthel was a co-owner and brewer at Kraftbrau Brewery before opening The Livery in Benton Harbor Aug. 19, 2005. Berthel, who commutes to the brewery from Kalamazoo six times a week, also books music and works as a bartender.
Gazette.

The Livery is essentially split into two parts - the downstairs bar and cafe, and the upstairs bar and performing space. Each has six beers on tap. The lower level can seat about 80 to 100 people and features The Livery Cafe. The menu offers appetizers, homemade soups and deli sandwiches. Pickell, who said she is something of a hummus aficionado, added spices to a pre-existing hummus base to create their recipe, which is the most popular appetizer.

The upstairs portion of The Livery blends the building's historical wooden beams and posts with newly renovated touches for a soothing listening environment. The upper portion of the stable's original freight elevator remains intact, although not functioning. A wooden balcony surrounds the elevator and gives a great overhead perspective of the stage. There is plenty of room to roam, with the venue's capacity of about 225.

Complementing the rustic appearance is the backbone of The Livery - its beer. For about 40 hours a week, Berthel is a hermit in a cave of hops. During a tour of his small brewing facility, Berthel, who isn't much more than 5-foot-7, bubbled up when talking about his "hand-forged microbrews." If you've never brewed your own beer, it's another language.

Even to those who've tried brewing, it's a lot of lingo to swallow. Berthel said he is constantly tweaking his recipes.

"Brewing is not an exact science, I don't care what people tell you," he said. "You're in business with a micro-organism."

A majority of his 72-hour work weeks are dedicated to brewing any of his 65 recipes, but he also bar-tends, along with Pickell, and books bands, including several Kalamazoo bands like Greensky Bluegrass and Fonn Mor. The Livery also offers yoga classes, salsa dancing, improv comedy and poetry.

"We've got something happening for everybody. ... It's not all about slingin' beer," he said.

Tapping into The LiveryAddress: 190 Fifth St., Benton Harbor.Owners: Steve Berthel and Leslie Pickell.Hours: 4 p.m. to midnight Monday to Friday; noon to midnight Saturday; noon to 8 p.m. Sunday. Happy Hour is 4 to 7 p.m. Monday to Saturday.How to get there: Take I-94 west toward Chicago and take Exit 33 toward downtown Benton Harbor/St. Joseph for about three miles (you'll be on Main Street). Turn right onto Fifth Street and go two blocks. The Livery is on the corner of Fifth and Park streets.

Josh Smith / GazetteThe turkey and provolone sandwich is one of the better items on The Livery's menu.

Signature tasties: Hummus and pita ($4.50) is the top-selling appetizer. The Livery also features three homemade soups (beer cheese, sausage/chicken gumbo and chili, each $3.50). The deli sandwiches are much better than typical bar fare - try the turkey and provolone ($6.50). Coffee and root beer are also offered.Cafe hours: 5 to 9 p.m. Monday to Thursday; 5 to 10 p.m. Friday; noon to 10 p.m. Saturday; noon to 8 p.m. Sunday.On tap: Berthel changes his lineup of beers almost daily, but his most popular are McGilligans' IPA and Double Paw. If you make the drive, you must try Berthel's specialty beers, in particular, his Trippel Weizenbock Lager. Growlers - 64-ounce glass jugs that patrons can buy to take beer home - are also available at $10 a pop. Berthel also makes three wines: chardonnay, Italian sangiovese and sangria.Phone: (269) 925-8760.Web site:www.liverybrew.com.